


Little Boy Blue

by Isadore



Series: Children's Songs [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Time Babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-01
Updated: 2013-04-01
Packaged: 2017-12-07 03:24:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/743636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isadore/pseuds/Isadore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What should we call you, then?" The Doctor asked his tiny newborn son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Boy Blue

"What should we call you, then?" The Doctor asked his tiny newborn son.

"No pressure, though," River teased.

The Baby cooed up at his parents from his father's arms.

"Well, yes, we have been calling you 'The Baby' but that's not really a name- more of a description of what you are. And you won't be a baby forever," The Doctor reasoned.

The Baby waved his tiny little arms.

"Oh, now you've given him Peter Pan Syndrome; brilliant," River admonished The Doctor.

The Baby grunted.

"Peter Pan was a boy who never wanted to grow up; he knew how to fly and he fought pirates and befriended Indians and lived in a secret tree house-"

Peter Pan sneezed at The Doctor, interrupting him.

"Well, of course you'd like to be Peter Pan, now that he's put it to you like that," River told her son sweetly as she ran a hand over his fine hair. "But conventional wisdom warns against picking the first name you hear."

Peter Pan cooed.

"Well, no 'mum' and 'dad' aren't really names, either. Well, they are, but they're more of a description of what we are to you. I mean, technically, those were the first names you heard- yes- and you didn't want to be called either of those- fair point- but those are special names children call their parents. We have other names that everyone else uses."

Peter Pan kicked his feet.

"Sweetie, you're confusing him," River said lightly, but gave The Doctor a Look with a capitol 'L'. She leaned down and kissed her son on his forehead. "You don't have to decide right now," she assured him.

Peter Pan tried to put his fist in his mouth.

"No, 'Sweetie' isn't my name, either. That's something only your mother gets to call me. You've ended up with parents who don't really conform to proper naming conventions."

Peter Pan stopped trying to put his fist in his mouth and waved it in the air instead.

The Doctor bopped his nose lightly. "No, you haven't got to meet proper naming conventions, either. If we were doing this the human way, we'd pick your name for you. Just think what you'd end up with, then! Your mum would probably want to name you 'Tutankhamun' or after someone else that got dug out of the ground and I'd want to call you 'Gandalf', but she'd probably never let me. Honestly, we'd likely have argued about it for ages."

"Oh, hush," River rolled her eyes at The Doctor. "I would have never wanted to call you Tutankhamun, I promise," she smiled at her Son. "And to answer your earlier question; my name is River Song, and your dad is called The Doctor."

"But we've got other names, too. Your mum was first named Melody Pond. Or Melody Williams. And for a time she was called Mels Zucker. And I wasn't always The Doctor. At school I was called Theta Sigma, or sometimes just Thete. Sometimes I go by John Smith, because humans get funny when you tell them your name is just 'The Doctor.'"

The Gandalf Pan drooled a little.

"No, you're right, none of those are my proper name. Who told you that?"

The Gandalf Pan cooed at him. River laughed gently.

The Doctor smiled. "Well, that happy thought in the back of your mind is the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. She's the ship we're in right now which is also conveniently a time machine. She was in a human body, once. She called me 'Thief' then. And your mum she called 'Water.'

"Happy thoughts make Peter Pan fly, you know," he said, grinning at River. "Peter Pan becomes a more appropriate name all the time," he teased.

"He can definitely call himself Peter if that's what he wants; I was just pointing out that it's good to have options," River defended.

"It is good to have options. And really, it's not like you'll be stuck with one name forever. You can change it if you like later. Your grandmum was Amelia Pond, and then Amy Pond, and then she married your grandfather- Rory Williams- and she took his name so she was Amelia Williams, then. Though I really thought it ought to work the other way."

"Dad had his fair share of names, too. Rory the Roman. The Last Centurion."

The Last Peter Pan Centurion waved his arms again.

"No, sorry. My proper name is in Gallifreyan and I'm afraid you can't know it 'til you're older. You'll get a Gallifreyan name too, but lets not worry about that just yet."

Who Needs A Proper Name Anyway held still for once and gave his parents a contemplative look.

"Oh, they were..." The Doctor sighed wistfully. "River, they were your parents; you tell him."

River leaned her head against The Doctor's shoulder and smiled. "Mum was amazing. She was feisty and determined and her love for dad burned so bright. Dad was always patient and kind and clever- he was a nurse and was made to help people. I was so lucky to have them both. Maybe you'll get to meet them one day if the stars line up just right."

Williams wanted to be amazing and clever and helpful just like his grandparents. He tried to reach for his dad's bow tie, but didn't quite make it.

"Ah, I don't know that we should be talking about ourselves. Seems like that's something you should figure out on your own as you grow."

Williams tugged on his dad's lapel. It wasn't the bow tie, but it would do for now.

His mother laughed. "Oh, I've no doubt she'd tell you if you asked. The TARDIS loves to spoil her children."

"The Old Girl is completely biased- don't listen to a thing she says," The Doctor teased.

"Hush, you. Our son is being incredibly thoughtful for one so young." She kissed The Doctor's cheek and reached down to let her son fist her finger in his tiny hand.

Robber Williams cooed up at his parents, yawned, and then closed his eyes.

"Oh, that's just... so much better than Gandalf, aren't you glad I wasn't allowed to pick? Robber Williams, the boy who will steal time."

"Thief of our hearts," River agreed.

Robb opened his eyes back up with a startling quickness, gurgled, and then closed his eyes again.

River grinned. "Yes, The Pan is a fine name, too. You can use both; just like us," she assured him.

Robber 'The Pan' Williams drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Later, River was lying in bed, about to fall asleep. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright. "Dear God; our son is The Pan!"

The Doctor put down the book he was reading. "Ah, just got that, did you?"

She turned and glared at The Doctor. "You knew?!"

"He told us!" The Doctor tried to defend himself. "That-that he wanted to be called that, too. It only makes sense. Who else but another Time Lord would show up all over time and space like The Pan..."

River flopped back down into bed and groaned. "I have all this foreknowledge that I decidedly don't want. I have artifacts on him. Artifacts! About my own newborn son."

"I've always said archeology is rubbish."

River smacked his chest. "Oh hush, you." She rolled over and put her back to him.

The Doctor spooned himself behind her, wrapping his arm around her middle. "Think about it this way; we know he makes it to adulthood despite the fact that we're his parents. I mean, that alone is an amazing feat...." he tired to tease.

"...and then he turns out exactly like us." River's tone indicated that she thought that outcome was less than ideal.

"Nah, just the bit where he gets wrapped up in the history of most major civilizations throughout space and time. Not the worst thing he could pick up. Could have decided genocide was more his thing if he really wanted to be like me."

River turned in his embrace and wrapped both of her arms around him. "Doctor..."

He sighed, resigned himself to his fate, and kissed the top of her head. "Look, I met him. Our son, when he's older. He's brilliant and grins so wide there's barely room on his face and his hair is half yours and half Amy's and half mine- three halves, is that allowed?- and he wears the shoes I wore in my last incarnation and is so sure of himself and so clever; he's perfect, River. Now, and then."

River pushed herself up on her elbow and leaned over The Doctor and glared at him. "You met him when he's older?!"

"Not on purpose!" The Doctor squeaked. "He found me on London Bridge; I went back to 1814-"

"Oh, you nostalgic idiot!" River rolled her eyes and flopped back down.

"-That's what he said you'd say!" He smiled fondly at the memory. It was his turn to lean over River, and as he did he reached over and bopped her nose. "He got all our good parts; you'll see."

River smiled up at him. "I trust you." She turned her head and looked at their son in the cot beside the bed. "Besides which, it's already obvious. He wants to be helpful and clever and live in a tree house. What more could we ask for?"

The Doctor looked over at their sleeping son, then leaned in and kissed River on her forehead. "Not a thing."


End file.
